


Fight Like the Devil

by ASharksReadingGlasses



Series: Ghost in the NYC [8]
Category: Danny Phantom, Daredevil (TV), Deadpool - All Media Types, Marvel Universe - Fandom, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Avengers Movie Mentioned, Avengers: Civil War Mentioned, Catholic Matt Murdock, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Maddie Fenton's A+ Parenting, Matt Murdock has synesthesia, Mild Gore, Swearing, Synesthesia, TW for burns, Team Bonding, Team Feels, but not for any characters, child endangerment, just referenced in general, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28441458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASharksReadingGlasses/pseuds/ASharksReadingGlasses
Summary: Months have passes since Danny's trip to NYC, and while both Peter and Wade have been keeping in touch with him without any trouble so far, it still feels like they're waiting for the other shoe to drop. When Danny shows up at Peter's apartment out of the blue, Peter and Wade will need help to make sure Danny doesn't end up obliterated by his own parents or in the clutches of the GIW.Enter: Matt Murdock, Attorney at Law
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Matt Murdock, Danny Fenton & Wade Wilson, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson & Karen Page, Peter Parker & Danny Fenton, Peter Parker/Wade Wilson
Series: Ghost in the NYC [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2045206
Comments: 106
Kudos: 793





	Fight Like the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> Made in collaboration with [the-stove-is-on-fire](https://the-stove-is-on-fire.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.
> 
> All right, welcome to the pilot episode of Season 2 everyone! Just a quick note before we get started; I want to give you guys a sort of timeline about what has happened on the DP side of things since Danny has gone back to Amity Park because I got a few comments in the last season that some people were confused. Episodes 2.08-2.17 have occurred EXCEPT for 2.10, for which the reason why will become more clear as time goes on. Also, I am not a lawyer. I don't understand lawyer speak. I did a quick search on emancipation and child endangerment. Don't be too critical with those parts please, I'm just a fan fic writer.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Please go to a medical professional for severe burns. Do not attempt to take care of it yourself.
> 
> Edit: Slime_Bro has done it again! Look at this absolutely gorgeous [fan art!](https://slime-bro-shiro.tumblr.com/post/639644856222957569/omg-the-latest-chapter)

Danny flew languidly through the ghost zone, ignoring the lair doors that littered the air space and checking around the edges of floating land masses for the more aggressive ghosts like Skulker and Walker as he piloted further away from the Fenton Portal. He exhaled a sigh of relief when he made it past a cluster of strange looking rock formations that he used as a landmark for navigating the ghost zone, stopping to sit at one of the ledges for a breather. He kicked his feet as he leaned his head back, bracing himself with his arms as he looked around. _Finally_ , Danny thought, _Some peace and quiet_.

Ever since his family had gotten back from New York, his parents had been... Different. More strict about his curfew, more forceful about knowing where he was, more insistent with their supposed ghost hunting lessons. Danny had felt slightly guilty at first because his fight with Vlad in New York obviously scared them more than they originally let on. But then his parents started to get more creative with their new ghost hunting tech; more tenacious when they chased him as Phantom; more accurate with their aim. Over the past few months, his initial guilt turned to worry and anxiety as his last face to face conversation with Peter played over in his head.

_"Just let me ask this Danny: Do you feel safe at home?"_

_"I think your parents do love you Danny. But just because they love you, doesn't mean they can't hurt you too."_

_"What if they try and kill you?"_

It had gotten to the point where if he was stressed and didn't want to talk anyone, he would carefully sneak down to his parents lab and fly around in the ghost zone for a few hours to clear his head. If he couldn't sneak down, he usually texted Peter and Wade to try and distract himself or ask for advice. Of course, that wasn't the only contact he'd had with them. After Danny had left, Peter texted him on-and off every couple of days, or called once and a while when Danny had a question about his homework. Wade didn't text him nearly as much as Peter did, but Danny figured Peter was relaying information to him. Wade usually texted Danny when he was bored, sending him funny pictures that had Danny in stitches, or asking questions about ghosts. For some reason, talking with Peter or Wade didn't feel as frustrating as talking with Jazz, or even Sam and Tucker. They didn't push him for answers like Jazz did, and it was a nice to be able to vent to someone who wasn't Sam and Tucker all the time. Most importantly, it was relief to have people he could call if he got in way over his head.

Just thinking about the last few disasters from the past few months gave Danny a headache. The absolutely terrifying incident with Young Blood as his parents thought he was going crazy; his relationship and subsequent heart break with Valerie; the fitness test with Dash; the fight with his sister that led her to try and trick Vlad; racing against time to help cure his friend from ectoacne; and of course, the incident with Dani. The last three made him shudder in unease while his core thrummed furiously, and he dragged one of his hands down his face.

He could admit that the incident with his sister and the Ectoskeleton suit was mostly his fault, but the ectoacne and clone scuffle had him furious enough the he had _changed_ mid fight. Granted, while he hadn't been as out of control like he was in New York, he could still _feel_ the modifications his ghost form had taken when his emotions had overwhelmed him. He had wanted to give Vlad a chance after New York, but his already strained patience had snapped. Before Dani had knocked Vlad out, Danny made it bluntly clear that he wouldn't be offering anymore free-bees; the next time Vlad messed with his family or his friends, Danny would reveal everything to the world. Vlad had smirked, like he had just eyed the finishing move in a chess match, and gestured to his appearance.

_"I'm not the only one you'll be revealing, Little Badger," Vlad had said. Danny had shuddered, grateful that his friends and family didn't see him, before he squared his shoulders._

_"I don't care," Danny had said, and that had Vlad stilling before numbly nodding in agreement._

Just thinking about the more ghoulish changes to his ghost form had Danny shuddering again and his toes curling in boots with discomfort. When he had told Peter about the fight, Peter had reminded him that important thing was that he was in control, but it still had Danny's stomach in knots that it was even happening at all. Whatever was causing his form to change was getting worse, and Dan's cutting words piercing through his skull.

 _"Don't you get it? I'm **still** here! You still turn **into**_ **me** _!"_

Danny clenched his fist and swallowed, pushing himself off the rock formation and letting his core guide him through the ghost zone as he quickly flew towards his destination; he knew exactly the ghost he needed to see.

* * *

Danny felt his core convulse irregularly as it always did as he neared Clockwork's lair, cautiously turning human to phase through the door on the lower level before turning back and floating slowly down the hall. Danny wasn't quite sure the reason, but Clockwork's layer both intrigued him and gave him the creeps. The whole place reminded him of a clock tower on a medieval castle, but the _tick-tick-tick_ of the spectral gears, the occasional gong of a symbol or bell, and the ethereal mirrors that showed things he could barely comprehend sent shivers down his spine. He gingerly floated to the single set of stairs and began to climb, being cautions to not lose his sense of gravity and end up lost in the maze of halls and mirrors.

When he made it to the top of the stairs, he touched down and walked into the single room that resided on at the top of the clock tower. The room was covered in clocks, all running out of sync with each other; some turning slowly, other much faster, some frozen in place, and few were even going backwards. A handful of green shadowy gears carved up through the floor while a huge bell hung from the center of the ceiling. On one side of the room there was a raised platform that held a large viewing mirror on a stand, the mirror swirling with ectoplasmic mist as images flickered across it like a screen. Next to the mirror were a small collection of Clockwork's medallions dangling by hooks in the wall. Across the room was a mantel that held a variety of objects that Danny didn't really care about - except for one. Danny walked across the room to the mantel and stopped a few steps away, feeling his skin crawl as he looked at the dented Fenton Thermos that contained his alternate future self. He shuddered and was about to turn and continue looking for Clockwork when his voice rang out across the room.

"Back again, Danny?" Clockwork asked as he floated down from the ceiling, his deep voice reverberating strangely in the room. Danny turned, taking a step further away from the mantel.

"Sorry for just barging in," Danny replied softly. "I was just-."

"Worried," Clockwork interjected, his ghost form shifting to its younger version while he drifted to the viewing mirror on the platform. "About your alternate self. I can assure you, he is sill quite secure. But that isn't all you wanted to ask me about, is it?" Danny gulped and walked over to stand by Clockwork's side as he watched the viewing mirror, the images flickering faster in the mist.

"I know you're keeping an eye on me," Danny said quietly, and Clockwork continued to observe the mirror. "You know what's happening to me-."

"And yet, I don't interfere," Clockwork finished, his form shifting until he was an adult. "Have you ever thought of why?" Danny shrugged uncomfortably.

"Because you want to give me a chance to change back before you have to kill me?" Danny guessed. Clockwork smiled like Danny had just told him an inside joke.

"You know better than anyone, Danny, that the future isn't set in stone," Clockwork said while sweeping his hand across the mirror, the mist stilling briefly before swirling again, "Everything is as it should be. But I was actually referring to something else." Danny clenched his hands and swallowed.

"I'm going to tell them," Danny whispered and Clockwork sighed softly.

"And you want to know how it will turn out," Clockwork replied as he shifted to his elder form, his beard dragging on the floor. There was a tense silence as Clockwork reached for his staff and turned to one of the clocks on the walls. "Knowing what the future holds can damage a timeline just as much as going to the past to change it. Are you willing to take that risk?" He asked as he opened the body of one of the frozen clocks. Danny scoffed as he shook his head; he learned that lesson already.

"Not even a hint?" Danny tried to joke, but it came out anxious and scared. Clockwork's mouth twitched into a small frown as he continued to work. "What if it goes badly?" Danny whispered.

"Your willingness to admit your failures and readiness to fix them is what helped you beat Dan," Clockwork replied as he twisted something inside the clock. "But do not be so ready to doubt yourself Danny." Clockwork pushed the pendulum of the clock to the side and pulled his hands out; the pendulum remained frozen as he snapped the covering closed and turned back to face him. "If revealing your secret to your parents goes badly, then you'll work to fix it, like you always do. I have faith in that." Danny let his hands unclench as he sighed.

"All right," Danny replied after a moment, pushing off the floor and drifting back towards the stairs. "Thanks Clockwork." Clockwork nodded to him as he descended the tower and started to make his way back home. He didn't notice when Clockwork lifted his staff and pressed the button on top.

"Time: Start," Clockwork said, and the frozen pendulum on the stilled clock started to swing.

* * *

Peter woke with a small gasp as his spidey sense tingled down his spine and he rolled over in his bed to look at the clock on his nightstand, the dull blue glowing numbers proclaiming two-twenty am. He groaned as he lifted one of his hands to rub at his eyes as he tried to wake up, kicking off the sheets, swinging his legs to the floor, and carefully walking out of his bedroom and down the hall to the living room of his apartment while his spidey sense continued to gently prickle at his neck. He hoped his sense wasn't freaking out over something silly, like if he left a knife on the counter or warning him of a splinter. It made him jittery when that happened, feeling like he was constantly in danger. Not to mention, it was a pain in his ass when he was at work or when patrol was slow.

His eyes easily adjusted to the dark and he scanned his apartment for whatever could be setting off his spidey sense, but found nothing. Peter flipped a switch on the wall and flinched as his eyes burned when the overhead light in the living room turned on. He squinted as he waited for his eyes to readjust, walking past the couch and coffee table to the window to his balcony, sweeping aside the curtains to see if anyone was there. He chewed his lip when he found the balcony empty, pulling the curtains back over the window while his spidey sense continued to go off; it was starting to feel familiar. Peter jolted with a small exhale when there was quiet but frantic knocking at his door, and carefully cut across the living room, unlatching the chain lock and the bolt lock before opening the door a crack. When he saw who was standing outside, he nearly ripped the door off its hinges trying to open it fully as his heart thundered in his chest.

"Danny!?" Peter exclaimed frantically, completely and fully awake. Danny looked the worst Peter had ever seen him, the aftermath of his fight with Plasmius a cake walk compared to now. He was wearing black sweatpants and a dark blue hoodie scuffed with dirt that were slightly too big for him, and had a duffel bag slung over his shoulders along with a backpack leashed to his back. He was pale and shaking, with deep bags under his eyes and beads of sweat running down his face like he had run a marathon, even in the cool New York fall evening.

"Hey Peter," Danny said lightly with a small strained smile, his voice trembling. "I, um-. I got myself in a bit of trouble. I told my parents about-, about Phantom, and it didn't-," Danny let out a small derisive laugh, his lip trembling and Peter felt his heart break. "It didn't go well. Could I-?" Peter didn't wait for Danny to finish, gently grabbing Danny by the shoulders and tucking him underneath his chin.

_"If you ever need me, you text me; and if you ever need a place to say, you can stay with me."_

"Of course you can, Danny," Peter answered softly, and Danny sniffled into his chest, too exhausted to try and return the hug. "You can stay as long as you want." Peter carefully pulled back and grabbed the duffel bag from Danny, leading him into the apartment before re-locking the door. He ushered Danny to sit on the sofa in the living room after he kicked his shoes off while Peter dropped the bag by his bedroom.

"Do you need anything to eat?" Peter asked a he made a beeline for the kitchen, grabbing a glass from one of the cupboards and filling it with water from the sink before another thought occurred to him. "How-, how did you even get here? You didn't hitch hike the whole way, did you!?"

"No," Danny answered as he shifted his backpack to the floor, "I flew." Peter's jaw dropped as he walked to the back of the sofa, handing Danny the glass before going back to the kitchen to scrounge up something to eat.

"You flew? Jeez, you must be starving," Peter exclaimed, opening some cabinets and looking for chips or crakers. "Give me a minute and I'll have something for you."

"No, Peter, I'm fine," Danny insisted, setting the water on the coffee table before grabbing at a thin cord under his shirt and pulling out a cartridge of ectoplasm; Peter recognized it from the ones they had used on Danny after his fight with Plasmius.

"I know you said that my go-bag should have food," Danny explained in a rush, "But after I got back home, my friends and I did a few tests. Turns out, I don't really need to eat if there's ambient ectoplasm nearby, so I packed a bunch of these ectoplasm capsules, and I've been wearing one of these ever since I found out, and I know that's kind of stupid but-!"

"Woah, Danny," Peter exclaimed and abandoned his search, walking around to sit down on the other side of the couch, making sure he wasn't touching Danny in case he had an anxiety attack. "It's fine. It's okay. That's actually a pretty good idea. Just-, take a deep breath and relax." Danny took a shuddering breath and exhaled slowly before grabbing his water off the table and taking a small sip. "How long have you been flying for?" Peter asked.

"Couple days," Danny answered softly, keeping his eyes focused on his hands as he fiddled with the glass. Peter chewed his lip, trying to think if he heard anything about a missing kid from Amity Park.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He asked hesitantly, and Danny's breath hitched.

"I just wanted to talk to them. Show them my powers and how I change to try and get them to understand but-, they wouldn't listen to me. Can-, can we please not talk about his right now?" Danny begged as he hunched in on himself, and Peter felt guilty for pushing him.

"Yeah, of course," Peter replied, "You must be exhausted. Why don't you take a shower and get changed into some clean clothes, and we'll figure it out from there." Peter stood up and guided Danny to the bathroom across from his bedroom, putting Danny's duffel bag in his hands. "Feel free to use any of my shampoo and soap. Fresh towels and washcloths are in the cabinet under the sink."

"Thanks Peter," Danny said gratefully and shut the door. Peter walked back to the living room, swiping his phone off his nightstand as he walked passed his room before settling on to the sofa.

> **To: DP 1.0**
> 
> Wade, I need you to come to my apartment
> 
> **From: DP 1.0**
> 
> Hey Petey-Pie
> 
> You're calling at a bad time
> 
> Can I get a rain check?
> 
> **To: DP 1.0**
> 
> Wade, it's Danny
> 
> He just showed up at the apartment
> 
> I pretty sure he ran away from home
> 
> **From: DP 1.0**
> 
> omw
> 
> It might take me a a few days
> 
> Sorry boo
> 
> Make sure he isn't hurt
> 
> AND CALL MATT!!!
> 
> **To: DP 1.0**
> 
> See you soon, Wade

As soon as he finished texting Wade, Peter went to his contacts and selected Matt's number, bringing the phone to his ear and listening to the dial tone as he waited for the call to connect.

"Peter?" Matt asked groggily when the call went through. "It's nearly three in the morning. What-?"

"Matt," Peter interrupted as he rested his elbow on his knee, "You remember that kid I told you about? The one I met around three months ago when I asked you to look into those ectolaws?" Matt was silent for a few moments, then Peter heard the sound of sheets rustling as Matt sat up in his bed.

"Yeah?" Matt answered hesitantly. "Peter, what's going on?"

"He just turned up at my apartment. I think he ran away from home about two days ago," Peter answered, bringing his other hand up to bite at his thumb nail, wishing he had a ball of webbing to roll between his fingers instead.

"I don't remember hearing anything about a missing kid," Matt commented.

"Neither do I," Peter responded, "And that's what worries me. What kind of parents don't scream to the world their kid is missing, unless-."

"Unless they have something to hide," Matt finished. "Then we need to move fast. Foggy and I don't have any appointments around noon. Come by the office with the kid around then."

"Thanks Matt," Peter said before tacking on hastily, "And one more thing; he's a bit roughed up." There was a pause as Matt held his breath and let it out slowly.

"Roughed up how?" Matt asked as his voice dropped to something darker, and Peter shuddered as the voice of the devil reached his ear.

"I'm not quite sure," Peter answered honestly. "His clothes were a bit scuffed up and I didn't see any visible injuries, but he can heal faster than a normal person. Maybe a little slower than I can. I'll have to-."

"Peter?" Danny asked hesitantly from the hallway. Peter straightened up on the couch to look at him and felt the blood drain from his face.

"Matt," Peter said quickly, "I'm gonna have to call you back." Peter hung up the phone before throwing it lightly on the coffee table and walking as calmly as he could towards Danny. Danny was standing in the middle of the hallway, his hair slightly damp from the shower. He was wearing thin flannel pajama pants that dragged at his heels and was clenching a soft plain t-shirt in one hand, and a roll of bandages in the other. In the center of Danny's chest, just below his pectorals and above his abdominals, was a red burn that had the circumference of a basketball. The burn was raised like it had already scarred over, but radiated heat and looked like paint splatter, or like a balloon of acid had been popped against Danny's chest. White blisters rose up on parts of the burn, but they weren't large or shiny like third degree burns and Peter thanked God for small favors.

"I was just gonna ask if you could help me wrap my chest," Danny whispered, and Peter cringed; that wouldn't be comfortable with those blisters.

"Go sit on the couch, okay," Peter requested before ducking into the laundry room and grabbing his First Aid kit from the shelf above the washing machine. He walked back to living room, depositing the kit on the coffee table and opening it quickly, digging through the contents and bringing out a pair of nitrile gloves, gauze, packets of burn cream, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, and a thin needle, the roll of bandages Danny had sitting by his side on the couch.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked nervously from the couch, twisting the shirt in his hands.

"I'm gonna pop those blisters to relieve some of the pressure before we bandage everything up," Peter explained as he snapped the gloves on, sitting next to Danny so he wasn't standing over him. "You going to be okay with that?" Danny chewed on his lip.

"Will it hurt?" He asked softly and Peter felt his heart crack again.

"Maybe a little," Peter replied honestly, "But it's not as bad as having blood drawn or getting a shot. You can do it yourself if you're uncomfortable with me doing it." Danny hesitated before he shook his head. "Okay," Peter exhaled, "Lean back for me, please." He ripped open an alcohol wipe, sterilizing the needle before grabbing another and cleaning the first blister. Danny turned his head and held his breath, clenching his eyes shut as Peter brought the needle to the bottom of the blister. He slowly inserted it until he felt the skin give and then quickly took the needle out, checking that the fluid seeping out was clear, before reaching over with his unoccupied hand for clump of gauze. Danny exhaled shakily and Peter covered the sore before gently pressing on it, helping push the fluid out of the blister before easing up and leaving the gauze as the welt continued to drain. He repeated the same process with another blister, and Danny opened his eyes as Peter worked, deliberately looking around Peter's living room and away from his injury.

Peter worked in silence, concentrating as he continued until each blister was popped, ripping open the antibiotic ointment when he was done and dabbing it carefully over the drained welts, and covering each blister with a new pad of gauze. When he was finished with that, he grabbed the packets of burn ointment and gently smeared the gel over the burn, covering it at much as he could. He heard Danny let out a sigh of relief as the cooling gel started to work, and Peter grabbed the roll of bandages that were left on the couch.

"Sit up for me," Peter requested and Danny sat up gingerly so the gauze on his sores wouldn't come off. Peter unrolled the bandages a bit before he started to wrap them around Danny's chest, keeping them tight enough that they wouldn't come loose and rub against the healing skin, but lax enough that they wouldn't restrict movement.

"They thought I was possessed," Danny whispered after a few minutes, and Peter paused in his ministrations.

"What are you talking about?" He asked and Danny swallowed.

"You can stop a ghost from overshadowing someone by shooting them with a low level ectoblast," Danny stated, his usual calm and detachedness that Peter saw the last time Danny was injured gone in the wake of his emotional distress. "It doesn't hurt the person who's possessed-, maybe knock the wind out of them or disorient them for a few seconds, but it's not supposed to hurt people. It's supposed to hurt the ghost." Peter exhaled slowly, trying to keep his usually nonexistent temper under control.

"Was this before or after you showed them your powers?" Peter asked quietly as he continued to to wrap Danny's chest. Danny clenched his hands in the fabric of his pants.

"Before," he whispered, then brought one of his hands to wipe at his eyes as his breath hitched slightly. "They didn't give me a chance to-. This is all my fault. I should've just listened to you the first time, and then none of this would have happened. I'm such an idiot-!"

"Hey," Peter cut him off, "Listen to me; you are not an idiot for wanting to believe the best in people." Peter finished wrapping Danny's chest and helped him pull on his shirt without aggravating the bandages too much before dragging him into a one armed hug. "We're gonna figure this out Danny. I'm not going to let them hurt you again, okay?"

"How?" Danny asked hopelessly, curling up into Peter's side as they both leaned back against the sofa.

"The person I was on the phone with? His name is Matt. He's a good friend and a lawyer," Peter started but paused when Danny shivered.

"Do we have to get more people involved in this?" Danny asked weakly. Peter grimaced and squeezed Danny a smidge tighter.

"Yeah, we're gonna have to, Danny," Peter answered. "You're still a minor and technically under your parents guardianship. As much as I want to keep you cooped up in my apartment until you turn eighteen, you still need to go to school and we can't risk them getting a hold of you again when they decide to file a missing person's report with the police. If we get ahead of them now, they'll have no grounds to take you back to Amity." Danny shivered again as he chewed his lip.

"Do you trust him?" Danny asked hesitantly.

"With my life," Peter replied fiercely. "And more than my life, I trust him with my identity." There was a moment of stillness before Danny nodded his acceptance against his shoulder. "All right," Peter continued, "Here's what's gonna happen. We're both going to go to sleep - and you're taking the bed, no exceptions. Tomorrow, we're going to stop by Matt's so he can ask you some questions. He's got a couple ideas we could go with, but he still needs to clarify some things. And then we'll figure out where to go from there. Okay?"

"Okay," Danny echoed quietly, and he let Peter pull him off the couch to lead him back to the bedroom.

* * *

Danny woke up to the sound of plates clinking and the smell of food cooking, light streaming in from the window above Peter's bed. He held still for a few moments just staring at the ceiling, still not quite believing that the last few days actually happened, before he sighed. He gingerly sat up in Peter's bed, trying not to aggravate the wound on his chest as he shoved himself up. The digital clock on the nightstand read ten-twenty, and he pushed off the sheets before swinging his legs to the floor. He got up and opened the bedroom door, walking dazedly down the hall to the living room. With the light coming in from the floor-to-ceiling window, Danny was struck by homey Peter's apartment was.

The living room was fitted with a moderate flat screen TV mounted on the brick wall opposite the hallway, with a mostly empty shelf underneath it that housed the modem for internet. The two shelves sandwiching the TV were filled with books, CDs, movies, and a couple of cacti and other plants. Spider-plants hung in the corner between the TV and the balcony window, catching a bit of stray light. In the center was a square rug underneath a coffee table and red, three-seat sofa, with a large overhead light in the ceiling. The living room was partially connected to a kitchen, which was across a small laundry room. The kitchen was covered in cabinets and drawers with a tabletop counter, a thin wall separating the kitchen from the living room. In the other corner of the kitchen was a small square two-seat table covered in papers, a ringed notebook, a digital camera, and a laptop, and even more spider-plants hung from the ceiling.

Peter was hovering over the stove in a pare of loose grey sweat pants and a blue t-shirt, scrambling eggs and pieces of cut sausage in a pan with his back to Danny while slices of bacon were already cooling on another plate. When he was satisfied with the egg and sausage mix, Peter scooped a portion onto a tortilla wrap on separate plate, using a fork to transfer over two strips of bacon before folding everything into the tortilla wrap. Danny was almost positive he was going to start crying again, _because how did Peter know breakfast wraps were his favorite?_ He must have been louder than he thought, because Peter paused and turned to face him.

"Oh, um-, hey Danny," Peter stuttered, and then held out the plate with the breakfast burrito. "I made breakfast. Feel free to eat on the couch, it's fine." Danny numbly walked over and took the plate, sitting on the couch before he started to nibble at the burrito.

"You know you don't have to feed me, right?" Danny said after a few bites while Peter prepared more burritos. "I have enough ectoplasm capsules to last me a few months if I'm careful with my powers."

"I know," Peter said. "But I want to. Besides, maybe if you eat regular meals it will help reduce how much energy you drain from those capsules." Danny's jaw dropped.

"I didn't think of that," he said quietly, but Peter still heard him anyway.

"It's just an idea," Peter replied, making his way around the counter to sit on the other end of the couch, two glasses of water in one hand and his plate in the other. "It might not even work. You'll just have to keep an eye on it." They both were quiet as they ate their breakfast before Peter spoke up again. "Are you ready for today?" Danny sighed.

"Not really," he stated, nibbling at his burrito again. "It feels like last few days didn't actually happen, and any moment I'm going to wake up back in my room. But _I_ _know_ it did happen. And I'm not going to sit around and wait for this to mess up my life. I'm going to fix it."

* * *

They took the train and subway system to Hell's Kitchen after they finished breakfast and changed clothes; Peter wrapping himself in a coat, scarf, and hat, while Danny shrugged on a hoodie and a lighter jacket to combat the fall chill. When they got to the metro, Peter insisted he get his own re-loadable MetroCard, considering Danny was going to be staying in New York longer than last time. Danny didn't put up much of a fight on that front, too emotionally drained to ask himself or Peter the "How long _will_ I be staying here?" question. The hour long ride to the West Side Manhattan neighborhood was spent in silence, Danny too nervous about meeting Matt to either try and make conversation with Peter, enjoy the scenery outside the train cars, or people-watch as they rode the metro. It was more nerve wracking than meeting Wade for the first time, seeing as Danny didn't even have any sort of impression of who Matt was, other than Peter trusted him. And also, Matt was a lawyer. Maybe that was the part that was freaking Danny out the most, the idea that he would have to get into the legal side of things to keep himself safe. The only time Danny had made any contact with the law, as Danny or as Phantom, was that horrifying incident with Freakshow and Danny had no intention of ever having a repeat.

Peter seemed to understand he wasn't in the mood for chatting, simply sitting at his side and trying to keep the mood light by telling him funny stories, mostly about Fido messing with Wade since Danny had been gone. The stories did help distract Danny for a little bit, but more than anything it made him miss Wade's humor and Fido's cuddly nature. But by the time they arrived in Hell's Kitchen and departed the metro, Danny was feeling less nervous and was willing to engage with Peter as they walked the rest of the way to Matt's office. Stepping into Hell's Kitchen was like going through one of Clockwork's portals; Danny felt like he had stepped into a 1980s New York detective movie. Most of the buildings were red brick and only five stories high, nothing like the skyscrapers in Queens. It was crowded in the streets and on the sidewalks like the rest of New York City, but almost louder with all the different languages spilling out from restaurants, bodegas, and delis. More than that, however, was just how different this neighborhood felt compared to the other parts of the city. It felt gritty, tense, and on edge, and Danny got the feeling he understood why Hell's Kitchen need a more violent and hard hitting vigilante like Daredevil.

Peter led them to a beige brick building, a black and gold lettered sign reading "Nelson, Murdock, and Page" underneath a pair of justice scales bolted to a red pillar next to a metal gated door. They both walked inside, Peter shedding his scarf and hat and stuffing them in his coat pockets while Danny was content to stay hidden in his hoodie for a bit longer. They passed a couple more doors until they reached one that had the same stenciled design on the glass like the sign outside. Peter opened the door and ushered him inside; the office was spaced in three sections, the first area a lobby filled with empty chairs and a small desk that had a nameplate reading "Karen Page". On the left side of the lobby was a smaller office, and on the right was another small office and a conference room. A long haired blonde woman in a white long sleeved blouse and dark blue skirt was sitting at the desk, picking her head up when Peter opened the door.

"Peter!" she exclaimed, smiling as she got up and walked around the desk to give Peter a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's nice to see you too, Ms. Page," Peter replied while Danny tucked himself out of sight. Ms. Page pouted as she pulled back.

"Peter, we've known each other for almost three years," She said crossing her arms, the bracelets on her wrist jingling. "You can call me Karen."

"Perish the thought!" Peter laughed and did a little mock bow, "I am nothing if not a gentleman, Ms. Page. Plus, I gotta stay on your good side." Ms. Page smiled as a man opened the door from the small office on the right. He had light brown hair like Peter, but cut short, and was wearing a salmon colored button up underneath a light grey suit and slacks, a black tie cinched at his neck.

"Damn right you do," The man said, reaching his hand out to pull Peter into another quick hug.

"Good to see you, Mr. Nelson," Peter laughed, extracting himself and putting an arm around Danny's shoulders, and Danny reluctantly came forward. Mr. Nelson's and Ms. Page's attention immediately focused on him, and Danny shrunk more into his hoodie.

"And this must be Danny," Mr. Nelson stated before giving Peter a tight smile that made Danny tense. "Peter, you clearly forgot to mention how _young_ our potential client would be."

"Extenuating circumstances, Foggy," A new, rough voice piped in and Danny nearly jumped as he looked to his left at another man who came from the other office. He had dark brown hair cut in a similar style to Mr. Nelson's, and wore a white button up shirt under a black suit and slacks, a deep blue tie around his neck. On his face were a pair of red tinted, circular sun glasses, and he held a red and white walking stick loosely in one hand while the other was in his pants pocket. His eye line was slightly off kilter, not quite making contact with anyone in the group, and that was when the remaining brain cells in Danny's head made the deduction that Matt - Mr. Murdock - was blind. It didn't make him any less intimidating.

"Hey Matt," Peter greeted casually. Mr. Murdock sighed in exasperation, but he had a good natured grin on his face.

"Peter," Mr. Murdock replied in the same casual tone before extending his cane slightly. "Why don't we move this to the conference room? Karen, the door please?"

"Sure," Ms. Page agreed, walking around Danny and Peter before grabbing a small "Gone to Lunch" sign off the back of the door and hanging it on the front while Mr. Nelson ducked back briefly in his office to grab a pad of paper and a pen. Mr. Murdock navigated the lobby with his cane to the conference room, Peter guiding Danny a step behind him. The conference room had a single, long rounded table surrounded by five chairs and a cassette player in the middle; the buttons on the player were covered over in braille labels. Once they were in the room, Mr. Murdock trailed his hands on the walls as he walked around the table, using his cane to locate a chair on the left end and sitting down after leaning his cane against the wall. Peter ushered Danny into one of the chairs on the opposite side, and then sat down in the other chair on Danny's right. Ms. Page walked in with her own pad of paper and sat down on the rounded end of the table while Mr. Nelson sat in the remaining chair on Mr. Murdock's left.

"Recorder, 10' o' clock," Mr. Nelson narrated, and Mr. Murdock reached over in the recorder's vague direction until he brushed it with his hand, his fingers trailing over the braille labels until he found the right ones and pressed record.

"Danny, would you mind stating your full name for the record, please?" Mr. Murdock asked as he leaned forward on the table slightly.

"My name is Danny Fenton," Danny started, and then added on nervously, "Well, my full name is Daniel James Fenton, but-, but I liked to be called Danny."

"All right, Danny," Mr. Murdock continued calmly, motioning with his hands as he continued to talk. "Peter has filled us in on a little bit about your situation. Do you mind telling us what's going on in your own words?" Danny bit his lip, hugging his arms as he looked to the side at Peter. Peter stared right back, and gave him a tiny nod.

 _"I may not trust your parents, but I do trust you. I'll put my faith in that._ _"_

 _Okay Peter,_ Danny thought as he took a breath and reached up to remove his hood. _Leap of faith._

"I'm, heh-," Danny started, breathing steadily through his nerves. "I'm not exactly normal. I can't really explain it, except that, well-. I'm part ghost." As soon as he said the word, Danny let his ghost core flood his being, changing him into Phantom. Mr. Nelson leapt back from the table with a hissed expletive while Ms. Page stood from her chair with a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Mr. Murdock simply leaned back in his chair, his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Starting to see what you meant by extenuating circumstances," Mr. Neslon whispered as he sat heavily back down in his chair.

"Foggy, what's happening?" Mr. Murdock asked.

"Right, um-" Mr. Nelson stuttered. "So, imagine a ring of light just appearing out of no where and changing everything about the person it's around. Very _Sailor Moon_." Danny chuckled slightly as he blushed in embarrassment, a hint of a grin peeking behind Ms. Page's hand as she sat back down as well.

"Fogs," Mr. Murdock whispered imploringly.

"Right, sorry-. Forgot you don't know that reference," Mr. Nelson replied.

"It's not just my appearance that changes," Danny piped up, feeling slightly better now that the biggest hurdle was out of the way. "I have-, abilities, I guess. And I told my parents about them three days ago, but... They didn't react well." Everyone was silent for a moment before Mr. Murdock spoke.

"Why don't you start from the beginning," He asked softly.

"Okay," Danny said as he nodded, changing back. "It happened when I was fourteen..."

* * *

Matt sat in silence as Danny finished explaining his situation, still trying to process the information he had been told as well as what his senses were picking up. In terms of his perception, Danny was an odd anomaly in his "world of fire." While most people radiated warmth, Danny _absorbed_ it, sucking up background heat because he was colder than his surroundings. But Danny didn't feel like a void to his senses, merely a depression like a small deformation in an otherwise even piece of wood. It made him stick out like a sore thumb, getting more intense when Danny had changed. He also sounded very different than a normal person. Danny had a heartbeat and was clearly breathing, but both were much slower than his own or Foggy's. It was nearly drowned out by a very low frequency humming, something that had also increased when Danny had changed, and reminded Matt of the hum of the cooling fan on his laptop. In addition to that, there was a strange smell that wafted from Danny's skin. Like a mixture of static electricity and ozone, a field in a lightning strike. It reminded Matt of when Rand used his chi to power his attacks or to sooth wounds.

Danny himself was an odd duck, as Foggy would have probably put it. While he was clearly nervous, stuttering over words when he couldn't think of a way to explain things, hugging his arms, or turning to Peter when he wasn't sure of something, Danny was earnestly honest for a teenager. His heart rate and breathing rate remained even and steady, only picking up slightly before calming as he explained some of the... less than legal incidents that had occurred while he was a ghost, and alter ego he named Phantom. Matt would have to ask Karen if she could look up the incidents on the internet...

Either way, it was surprising how honest Danny had been when Foggy had asked if Danny had used his powers for anything other than "heroics". Danny had stilled before admitting that he sometimes used his powers to prank bullies at his school, and then bluntly told them that he had been accused of robbery and threatening the town mayor. Even Peter seemed surprised by the news. Danny carefully explained that Fredrick Showenhower, who called himself Freakshow, was the ringmaster for a gothic circus that had been using a ghostly artifact too control ghosts - which he used on Danny to steal jewelry and money before his friends had destroyed the artifact. When asked about the mayor incident, Danny explained that he had been framed by a ghost called Walker who was trying to force Danny back into the ghost zone. If Danny had told them any of this five years ago, Matt probably wouldn't have believed him, but that would be before an alien army destroyed three-quarters of New York, mythical demigods were aliens, and an evil ancient covenant could bring back the dead. If anything, Matt was impressed that Danny had the guts to admit he had been involved in something illegal, even if it was against his will or that he had been framed; some of their normal clientele weren't even that honest.

"So, Matt," Peter started, bringing Matt out of his musings. "How are we going to do this?"

"That depends on what Danny wants to do," Matt replied drumming his fingers on the table. "We can't exactly go to the police with this in the normal way. I know you both are worried about the GIW catching wind of this." While the GIW was technically a US Federal Department, it left Matt's stomach sinking just as much as the fine print in the original Accords or the purposed Mutant Registration Act did. Matt recalled the words _exterminate_ , _termination, scientific research, eradication,_ and _annihilate_ filling most of their procedural documents.

"I don't think I want to live with my parents anymore," Danny stated softly, Matt struggling to keep his expression neutral as he heard the sound of nails against fabric as Peter clenched his hands. "But I still want to be able to go to school, and talk with my friends and see my sister. I-, I wouldn't mind living here." The last part was whispered softly, and Peter's heart stuttered in response.

"There are couple different ways we could do that," Matt replied. "We could file a report with CPS detailing child endangerment and abuse-."

"No," Danny interrupted, his voice hard as the chair he sat in creaked as he sat straight.

"Danny-," Peter tried gently.

"No," Danny repeated, tapping his pointer finger deliberately on the table. "If we're doing this, that's my only condition. We aren't putting my parents in jail."

"We really can't advise that, Danny," Foggy said diplomatically, but even Matt could have told him he was going against a brick wall.

"Just-, listen to me for a second, please," Danny begged, and Matt felt the shift in air currents as Danny slid forward in his chair and leaned on the table. "I understand what my parents did was wrong. That... That they hurt me. But none of that would have happened if I hadn't been messing around in my parents lab in the first place, or if I had told them from the start. They were just trying to protect me, and I won't let you put them in jail for my mistakes." The conference room was silent before Matt spoke.

"Danny," Matt said placatingly. "If that is what you really want, then we'll try a different way." He held up his finger when Foggy, Karen, and Peter started to object. "But you have to understand something. Foggy and I took an oath to uphold justice, and to defend the people within the extension of their rights. Part of that is being completely honest in front of a judge. If we present them your case, and they as for a reason, we'll have to tell them the truth; otherwise we could lose our licenses as lawyers. Do you understand?" Danny sighed.

"All right," He replied, and the room let out sigh of relief. "What other ideas do you have?"

"Adoption is another idea," Foggy pipped up, but his voice was hesitant. "But it's slightly more complicated and would take longer. Not to mention your parents would have give up their rights of guardianship over you, which they probably won't do unless their ruled unfit by a judge - and we're taking that option off the table..."

"And the last option is emancipation," Matt stated.

"What does that mean?" Danny asked.

"Emancipation basically means that you would have legal guardianship over yourself," Foggy pipped up, his pen scratching on his pad of paper. "You would technically be considered an adult in the eyes of the law. You would be able to control your own finances, keep your own wages if you got a job, enter into legal binding contracts without your parents consent-, and I'm clearly starting to lose you."

"The point is," Matt interjected, trying to too keep his voice even and calm to slow Danny's rapid heartbeat. "Is that you wouldn't be under your parents control."

"Okay," Peter stated hopefully. "How do we start?"

* * *

After going over the details with Danny and Peter, they all agreed that they would file a petition for Danny for partial or express emancipation; both options had their pros and cons. Partial emancipation would mean either Danny's parents or another legal guardian would still have some control over him, but Danny stated that as long as he didn't have to live with his parents and had control over his finances, he wouldn't mind (and it didn't go unnoticed, even by Matt, that Danny and Peter had shared a quick hug). Express emancipation would require that they get his parents' explicit permission to emancipate, but Danny would have complete control over everything. However, the thought of confronting his parents so soon had Danny's heart racing as he stood up to pace.

"That would mean they would have to come here, right?" Danny asked, his joints rubbing together has he wrung his hands.

"Technically, we would have to get permission from your parents for both options-," Foggy started, and Matt kicked him lightly under the table when Danny's heart leapt and the low humming oscillated irregularly. "But explicit permission is needed for the last option, yeah." Matt heard the light swipe of skin against skin as Danny dragged his hands over his face as he sat down again.

"I don't want them to know where I am," Danny whispered miserably, the sound of fabric rustling as Peter leaned over and rubbed Danny's back. "What if they attack me or something while they're here?"

"They won't," Matt said fiercely, and it must have been a little darker than he intended because Foggy elbowed his chest. Matt took a breath and started again, "They won't, Danny; you won't have to be here when we talk to your parents. And they can't attack you because of your powers, not if they want to stay out of jail. They'd be violating the Enhanced Protection Act-."

"The what?" Danny interrupted, and Matt stilled, his eyes wide behind his glasses and his mouth open. Did Danny not know he was considered Enhanced?

"The Enhanced Protection Act is an amendment that was added to the Mutant Protection Act a few years ago," Foggy said after a moment, his own voice colored in shock. "Enhanced persons are defined as people with latent abilities that were activated without the presence of an x-gene due to experimentation or high stress situations; people like Steve Rodgers and Wanda Maximoff. It states that Enhanced persons cannot be detained or prosecuted for any latent abilities they have. Technically, you're considered Enhanced, which means the your parents or the GIW don't have any grounds to detain you based on being a-, what did you call it-, a halfa." Matt heard the sound of Danny swallowing as he processed the information.

"I-, I don't have to be here when you talk to my parents? They won't be able to hurt me?" Danny finally settled on, and Matt swallowed his growing ire.

"No, Danny," Matt replied, trying to keep his voice soft. "They won't."

"Okay," Danny exhaled. "You can set up a time to meet with them."

"All right," Foggy stated after scribbling on his paper. "Karen, do you mind helping Peter and Danny fill out the petition form in the lobby-, I'll show you where you can find it on the court portal. Matt and I still need to iron out some details."

"Of course," Karen said, standing from her chair; she had been mostly silent for the whole thing, jotting down notes or politely asking questions as Danny had explained his situation. "I think I'll be able to find them myself. Let me print them out." Danny and Peter were about to get out of their chairs to follow her when Matt stopped them for a moment.

"Danny?," Matt said as he stood up.

"Um-, yes Mr. Murdock?" Danny answered, settling back in his seat.

"I know this will probably be unpleasant, but could we get a picture of your injury? Peter mentioned that you heal fast, and I would like to have it in our records if things go south," Matt asked, trying to keep Danny as comfortable as possible.

"Can-, can Peter do it?" Danny asked anxiously.

"Of course," Foggy answered. "You can do it at his apartment if it makes you feel better. He can email it to me. Would that be okay?"

"Yeah," Danny replied, his voice small as he stood up. "Um-, Mr. Murdock?" Matt stilled as he indicated he was listening. "May I, uh-, may I shake your hand?" Matt's heart skipped a beat before he grinned and held out his hand in Danny's approximate direction. Danny grasped it, unsure and hesitant at first before getting a good grip and shaking it. Matt was hit with a wave of nostalgia, inexplicably reminded of the first time he met Foggy and was accepted, blindness and all.

"Thank you, Mr. Murdock, for helping me. And thank you too, Mr. Nelson," Danny said as he shook Matt's hand.

"No problem, kid," Foggy replied, getting his own handshake in turn before Danny and Peter exited the room to go sit in the lobby. Foggy had gotten up and closed the door after them, and Matt sat back down in his chair, picking his glasses off his face and throwing them on the table before he rubbed at his eyes. Foggy sighed as he leaned against the wall.

"How are you feeling, Matt?" Foggy asked. Matt snorted; wasn't _that_ the loaded question of the day. How was he feeling about Danny? He liked the kid, damn it; Matt knew what struggling with powers was like, and he could relate with what Danny was going through. He was impressed that Danny had such a handle on them, even with the help of his friends. The idea of ghosts and possible life beyond the grave? He's already had a crisis of faith, what was one more? He was content at this point to agree that "God worked in mysterious ways" and leave it at that so he could roll with the punches. This whole situation? _He was fucking pissed_.

"I'm fine," Matt settled on, moving his hand along the tabletop until he found his glasses and brought them to his face. Foggy huffed, obviously not believing him for a second before he straightened up.

"We'll have to see if Peter can dig up some of the Fenton's research papers. There may be something in there that we can use," Foggy stated, and Matt nodded his head.

"And we need to go over those ectolaws again," Matt added. "Find out what Danny can be excused from based on the Enhanced Protection Act. Also, see if Karen can dig up anything on Frederich Showenhower's arrest and whatever there is about Danny's alter ego."

"You got it, buddy," Foggy replied, grabbing his notes before opening the door to the conference room and heading to the lobby. Matt sighed as he got up out of his chair, trailing his hand along the wall for his cane.

He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, trying to calm the devil raging in his soul.

* * *

They waited until noon the next day to get in contact with Danny's parents, wanting to prepare what they could but not willing to risk giving the Fentons time to file a missing person's report. Both Matt and Foggy used all of their time between then to re-read the ectolaws and look through the Fenton's papers, carefully paying attention to sections Peter had highlighted. But when they finally contacted them - or rather, when Karen called them to set up an appointment - it was slightly anti-climatic.

"Mr. Fenton, if you could just-," Matt listened from his office as Karen tried to get a word in, the phone handset creaking as it was wedged between her shoulder and ear as she scribbled on a sticky note. "Yes, they would like to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss Danny's-. We open at nine AM on week days, but-, wait, Mr. Fenton-!" Matt could barely hear the dial indicated the call was disconnected, and he carefully made his way to his office door, peeking his head around the frame.

"I take it that it went well?" Matt asked, grinning knowingly.

"Oh, that was a mess," Karen muttered, her blouse fluttering as she hung up the phone. "I couldn't get a word in as soon I mentioned Danny's name! He wouldn't even let me explain that Danny wants to be emancipated; they think he got picked up by the police and wants to go home." Matt hear the groan of Karen's office chair as she leaned back, clearly dissatisfied. "So, the good news: both Mr. and Mrs. Fenton will be here tomorrow at nine. The bad news: you're probably going to have angry parents screaming at you for at least an hour."

"Maybe that's a good thing they don't know," Matt said as he stepped out into the lobby to lean against the wall, sliding his hands into his pockets. "They won't be expecting us. Might make them off balance enough that they let something slip." Karen huffed.

"Just be careful, Matt," Karen replied, "I've got a bad feeling about this." Matt nodded before slipping back into his office, grabbing his phone off his desk. He needed to give Foggy and Peter the good - well, goodish news.

* * *

Jack and Maddie Fenton weren't anything like Matt imagined they would be when he and Foggy met them the next day. He could sense that Maddie was thin and lean, but she moved and held herself with subtle grace that Matt usually saw in martial artists. Jack was almost her complete opposite; big and hulking with muscles bulging beneath his skin, and moved like he had no sense of where his body was, as if he didn't know his strength. Matt could hear a soft, but high pitched wine coming from devices they had under their clothes and he grit his teeth; Danny had mentioned his parents made ghost hunting weapons, and for the first time since he and Foggy left Landman and Zach he wished they had the resources to post security guards. 

But perhaps the most surprising thing about them was how they were both extremely worried about Danny.

"Thank you so much for meeting us this early," Maddie said after they had introduced themselves. "We've been worried sick the last couple of days. Is Danny here? Can we see him?"

"Nearly had a heart attack when we got your call," Jack added, and Matt felt the shifting air as he stepped behind Maddie and put his hands on her shoulders. "We can't even figure out how Danny got all the way out here!"

With their eagerness to see their son and both their heartbeats staying steady, Matt realized Danny's insistence that his parents thought they were protecting him made more sense. They had well and truly believed that Danny had been possessed, or they were in deep denial about Danny's powers. That would make this a little more tricky, but Matt wasn't about to give up that easily.

"No, Danny isn't here," Matt answered as neutrally as possible, clenching the folder with his braille notes in one hand and his cane in the other. "Perhaps we could discuss this in a more private setting?" With their agreement, Matt and Foggy led them to the conference room as Karen manned the reception area, speaking quietly with another potential client.

"Is Danny in any trouble?" Jack asked anxiously as they sat down.

"Not at all," Foggy replied smoothly, laying his own folder of notes down on the table with a dull slap, lacing his fingers together and leaning on the table.

"Then what is this about?" Maddie asked hesitantly, her and her husband's hearts beating at a slightly faster tempo.

"To be blunt with you, Mrs. Fenton," Matt replied, letting one of his arms rest on the table, "My partner and I are representing your son as he files for a petition for emancipation. We tried to tell your husband over the phone, but we set up this meeting today so we could go over a little bit of the process with you and get your signatures on a few forms." Matt heard their hearts start to beat in a frenzy, their clothes shifting as they tensed.

"I'm not sure I understand," Maddie said in disbelief. "Emancipation?"

"After your altercation with your son four nights ago," Foggy said, voice level and even as he picked over his words carefully, "Danny reached out to us through a mutual acquaintance. He confided with us that he feels there is no longer a benefit in living with you, and expressed his interest in having legal control over his affairs and finances."

"Now, wait just a minute-," Jack started, his tone colored with disbelief, and Matt heard the chair scrape the floor as Jack began to get up, sitting back down when Maddie moved her arm across his chest.

"Mr. Murdock, Mr. Nelson," Maddie said quickly and firmly, like she was trying to explain a concept to a toddler. "I'm not sure you understand the situation fully. Our current residence is Amity Park, which is known for-,"

"Ghosts," Matt finished for her, and he heard the rustle of papers as Foggy brought a packet out of his folder and laid them on the table. "Or ectoentities, as you like to call them. We've looked into your research. And believe me, Mrs. Fenton, your son explained the _whole_ situation to us."

"If you've read our research, then you should understand that what you were probably talking to wasn't our son," Maddie said imploringly, completely ignoring the last part of Matt's statement. Both Matt and Foggy bristled; Maddie was basically cherry picking what they wanted and implied that because of his powers, Danny was a _thing_ and not a person. "Danny's currently being possessed by a ghost named Phantom that’s been obsessed with him since he was fourteen. If we could just see Danny and run a few tests, I'm sure-."

"Absolutely not!" Foggy stated firmly, and both Maddie and Jack stilled in their seats.

"Are you aware, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, that Danny became Enhanced after the accident?" Matt stated, his voice as calm like a frozen lake as the devil began to stir.

"I'm sorry, what?" Jack asked worriedly, the table creaking as he leaned into it.

"Enhanced," Matt clarified. "In layman's terms, he developed abilities due to the stress of the accident with the portal you built in your lab."

"But Danny was completely fine!" Jack stated before Matt felt him shift and turn to his wife. "Wasn't he? He didn't even need to go to the hospital."

"Your son was in an accident involving a powerful portal that punched a hole through reality into another dimension," Matt said disbelievingly, his voice icy, "And you didn't even get him checked out in the hospital?" He listened as Jack's heart begab pound while he ground his teeth.

"That's an excellent question," Foggy added mockingly before either of the Fenton's could speak. "Along with why you haven't filed a missing person's report for your son that's been absent for four days?"

"Just what are you implying, bub?" Jack ground out, and Matt felt Maddie lean over and pat his shoulder placatingly. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Matt beat her to the punch.

"It's because of the GIW, isn't it?" Matt proclaimed, leaning back in his seat as he connected the dots in his head. "You didn't file a report because the GIW would be notified of your son's involvement with ghosts." He felt the air part as Maddie turned sharply toward him.

"The GIW aren't as lenient as we are about ectocontamination," She replied, her hand still on her husband's shoulder. "You don't understand how extreme the GIW can be." Matt wanted to scoff but managed to hold it in and thought, _This was lenient? This was their idea of moderate?_

"We're aware of the GIW's methods and procedures, ma'am," Foggy replied stiffly. "Are you aware that because of his Enhanced status, Danny is exempted from most of those laws?"

"You're not listening," Maddie insisted, "Danny isn't Enhanced, he's possessed! If you could just let us see him, we could show you-!" At this point, Matt stopped listening. His old man was never a fan of dancing around in the ring and neither was Matt; whether he was a lawyer inside the courtroom or out on the streets as Daredevil. He opened his folder as Maddie continued her rant, feeling along the tops of the papers with his fingers for the braille labels on the front right corners. Once he found the one he was looking for, he flipped the photo of Danny’s injury out and laid it on the table so it was facing the correct way for Maddie and Jack, Foggy tensing beside him. Maddie choked on her next words, one of her hands flying to cover he mouth as Jack gasped.

"Sufferin' spooks," Jack whispered in shock, his hear beating erratically. Matt understood the feeling. When Peter had emailed the office a picture of Danny’s injuries, Foggy had cursed so loudly that if felt like the entire building had heard him. He had refused to show Karen, only giving a stilted and brief description of the injury to Matt. From what little details he could gather from Foggy’s narration, Danny’s injury sounded painful and restricting.

"Let me make one thing _very_ clear to you, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," The devil spoke through Matt's mouth. "The _only_ reason we're here talking right now and not at the police station waiting for you to be charged for violating the Enhanced Protection Act, and with child abuse and endangerment, is because your _son_ asked us not to - but I didn't promise _I wouldn’t_. Give me _one_ reason why I shouldn't show this to a CPS representative and have your children taken out of your care."

“No,” Maddie gasped behind her hand, reaching out with the other to trace the photo. “No, that can’t be – that’s impossible.”

“I don’t understand,” Jack whispered as his heart beat steadily but rapid with shock. “We were just trying to expel Phantom from Danny. An energy beam that low shouldn’t have harmed him! We-, we would never hurt him!”

“Well, that’s quite interesting,” Foggy stated coldly, “Because from what Danny told us, you fired your ectoweapon _before_ he demonstrated his powers. So, answer this question: did you or did you not fire an ectobeam at your son before you could confirm he was actually possessed?”

“Oh god,” Maddie started to cry, her shoulders shaking as she jerked her hand away from the photo, bringing it up to join her other hand at her mouth. Jack’s clothes rustled as he encircled her in his arms, his own shoulders shaking as tears started to gather in his eyes. Matt stilled, listening intently to their heartbeats as the devil slipped back into its cage. They both were telling the absolute truth. Which meant… Which meant Danny had been right. His parents _had_ been trying to protect him. And judging by Foggy’s hesitant and nervous body language, he probably figured that out too. Matt felt a well of pity bubble in his chest. If Jack and Maddie hadn’t been so ectophobic, Danny probably would have felt safe enough to tell them about his powers sooner. Instead, they had to realize in the most horrible of ways the consequences of their actions - not just about this situation, but about Danny’s initial accident too.

“Mr. and Mrs. Fenton,” Matt started, his voice understanding but firm. “It seems like you’ll need time to process this information and decide how you want to move forward. I can assure you that right now Danny is safe and recovering. He has a hearing with a Family Court representative in eleven days, if there are no unexpected interferences. You’ll have until then to decide. Please be aware that we don’t advise you to try and talk to Danny face to face without either myself or Mr. Nelson present, or I _will_ go to the CPS with this, regardless of how you or Danny feels. That’s the only offer we can give you at this time.”

Both Maddie and Jack jerked as they stared at Matt, their mouths gaping as they struggled to find words.

“Of-, yes, of course,” Jack stammered as he nodded, hugging Maddie close as they stood up together, there chairs scraping the floor in tandem. “You-, you mentioned forms. Could we get a copy, just to read through as we-, as we figure out what we’re doing?”

“Yes, that’s probably for the best,” Foggy murmured, flipping his folder open and handing two packets of forms. Jack quickly scooped up the packets before herding Maddie out into the lobby, closing the conference room door behind them, and hastily leaving the office. There was silence before Foggy let out a long and ragged sigh.

"That," Foggy said tiredly, "Could have gone so much better." Matt let out his own sigh, making a noise of agreement as he eased back in his chair. Round one was over; now they just had to wait and see if they would have to start round two, or if they had won the match by knock out.

* * *

Peter peeked nervously over his phone from his vantage point at the kitchen table, watching Danny on the couch as he morosely pressed a few buttons on Peter's borrowed laptop. After they had gotten back to the apartment from their meeting with Matt, Peter had taken a picture of Danny's injuries the lawyers would need before helping Danny reapply a few more packets of burn cream and re-wrapping his chest. Then, Peter had dragged his laptop off the table and handed it to Danny, telling him his friends must be worried. Danny looked at Peter like he had hung the moon, giving him a quick hug before scrambling to the sofa and emailing his friends and his sister. They had messaged back and forth for the rest of the day and the majority of the next, Danny's friends being gracious enough to pass on homework Danny was missing, until Matt had called with an update.

When Danny had heard the news his parents would stop by Matt's office the next day, he basically shut down. He hadn't wanted to talk to his friends or Peter after that, just curled up on the sofa with his face pressed against the cushions. Peter hadn't wanted to push when Danny was so visibly upset, and had wished for the millionth time that Wade could be there that exact second. Peter was proud to admit that Wade was far better at these types of situations than Peter was. Sure, Peter could reassure someone when they were having a panic attack or talk someone down from the ledge, but Wade... Wade just had so much empathy in those situations. He could always find a way to get someone to open up, mostly because he had been there himself and didn't mind hurting his own pride by being a goof just to get someone to laugh. And sure, sometimes with Wade's humor that backfired spectacularly, but he always tried.

By the end of the night, Peter had been able to coax Danny into eating dinner (Stove Top Burgers, just to perk Danny up a bit) but by morning, Danny was still too out of it to do much of anything, even refusing Peter's insistence for breakfast. Peter had suggested getting started on his homework, if nothing else but to use it as a distraction. Danny had just shrugged, bringing Peter's laptop to the coffee table and slid down to the floor, laying his arms and head in front of the laptop, and started to slowly work. He had been at now for a couple of hours, and Peter was starting to get anxious himself. When Peter's phone blasted through the apartment, both Danny and Peter jumped, Peter almost throwing the phone to the ceiling if weren't for his fingers getting extra sticky when he was stressed. After carefully pealing his fingers off his phone, Peter noticed the caller ID and quickly answered.

"Hey Matt," Peter said, and instantly Danny was off the floor and standing next to Peter in the kitchen entryway, anxiously wringing his hands. "What's up?"

"Hey Peter," Matt responded, his voice tired but composed. "Foggy and I just finished meeting Danny's parents. Do you mind putting him on the phone?"

"Yeah, no problem," Peter answered, holding the phone out to Danny. Danny cautiously took it and brought it to his ear.

"Heh-, hello, Mr. Murdock," Danny said shakily, his shoulders tense. There was a moment before Danny closed his eyes and slumped forward, letting out an exhale of air as he relaxed. "Oh my gosh," Danny said in a rush, his voice full of relief. "Thank you so much Mr. Murdock. Uh huh. Yeah, I think I can do that. Do you think it's safe for me to turn on my phone? I turned it off in case my parents tried to track it, but I just-, I wanna call my sister. All right. Sure. No, I'll fill Peter in. Thank you again, Mr. Murdock. Bye." Danny hung up the call and handed Peter back the phone.

"So," Peter asked expectantly, "How'd it go?"

"It went well," Danny replied, a grin starting to form on his face. "Mr. Murdock said that my parents haven't definitively agreed to anything yet, but they wanted time to think on it. It's not a flat out no, so I'll take it! He also said I have to start looking at my savings and stuff, in case I have to get a job so I can prove that I'm financially stable when we go to the hearing, but I'm not too worried about that. I sometimes help out at the observatory back home; I think they would offer me a job if I asked."

"That's great Danny!" Peter said, ruffling Danny hair, "And I'm sure Ashley would love to have you at the planetarium if you wanted to stay here." Danny blushed.

"Do you think she remembers me?" Danny asked.

"Of course she remembers you!" Peter laughed. "You practically wanted to move in when we went the last time!" It was totally _not_ because Peter mentioned Danny whenever he could when he got the chance to visit Ashley. No, totally not that at all.

"Okay, well," Danny said as he ducked out beneath Peter's hand. "Mr. Murdock said that it should be safe for me to turn on my phone, so I'm going to call my sister." Danny raced to Peter's bedroom to dig through his backpack to find his phone, and Peter went to the sofa to gather his laptop and save the work Danny had started. He blinked when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

> **From: DP 1.0**
> 
> How's it going today?
> 
> **To: DP 1.0**
> 
> Good!
> 
> Matt just called us with some good news
> 
> It cheered him up a lot
> 
> Wish you could be here though
> 
> I think he still misses you and Fido
> 
> **From: DP 1.0**
> 
> Wish granted
> 
> **To: DP 1.0**
> 
> !!!!!
> 
> Are you at the airport or something?
> 
> **From: DP 1.0**
> 
> Check outside your door

Peter blinked as his jaw dropped, jumping off the couch and undoing the locks hastily before pulling open the door, registering the subtle prickle of his spider sense that was Fido, which was almost buried under Danny's. Wade was standing in the door frame, wearing a deep red hoodie underneath his usually leather jacket and a pair of black jeans. He had a large duffel slung over his shoulder and in his hands... Peter slapped one of his hands over his eyes, his face blushing as red as his spider suit from the tips of his eats to just below the neckline of his shirt, and let out an amused huff of embarrassment. In Wade's hands was a small arrangement of flowers in a stout glass vase, some red ginger flowers mixed with a couple of orange and blue birds of paradise, a few leafy ferns filling out the rest of the space. Peter could smell the tropical and spicy scent from his door, and he dragged his hands off his face to look at Wade's entirely too amused expression.

"Honey, I'm home," Wade sing-songed as he stepped through the door, letting his duffel bag slide off his shoulder to the floor before proudly putting the vase in Peter's hands after kicking the door closed.

"You are so sleeping on the balcony," Peter groaned as he turned to hide his red face, walking into the kitchen and placing the arrangement at the center of the table.

"What! Petey-Pie, I'm hurt," Wade gasped mockingly as he followed Peter. "I bring you 'Sorry I couldn't get here sooner' flowers as an apology, and I don't even get cuddles?"

"I'm sleeping on the couch until Danny's injury is fully healed, so your welcome to try and fit your six-foot-two ass on there with me," Peter scoffed, not realizing the words that had come out of his mouth.

"I'm sure we could make it fit," Wade smirked suggestively, and Peter blushed brightly again. Seemingly satisfied with turning Peter into a cherry, Wade's tone became more serious as he stood just outside the kitchen. "How's the kid been?"

"He's so much better now that Matt's handled the hard part," Peter answered as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "His parents still have to make a final decision, but for now he's safe. I think once the initial rush wears off though, he's going to be a bit more subdued and lethargic." Wade perked up and grinned.

"Oh, I think I can fix that," Wade smirked before leaning his head back and shouting, "Hey home slice! Get your butt in here with the rest of the welcoming committee!" Peter snickered behind his hand as he heard a dull thump come from his bedroom before Danny was skidding into the kitchen, his eyes bright.

"Wade!" Danny yelled excitedly as a trail of mist escaped his mouth, then his eyes went wide with mirth as he tracked something just off of Wade's shoulder. Danny raised his hands, and both Peter and Wade flinched as Danny was pushed back by an invisible force that knocked the wind out of him slightly; Fido was obviously excited by Danny's return too. Danny righted himself, taking a deep breath and letting out a freezing mist, making Fido visible. Peter and Wade's jaws dropped as Fido became visible.

"Wade, what the hell have you been feeding them!?" Peter asked. The last time either Peter or Wade had seen Fido was before Danny had left New York three months ago. Back then, Fido was small enough that Peter or Wade could fit them in their hands and the sole defining feature they had were their eyes, Fido only briefly forming a mouth or arms. Now, Fido was a wide as a large cat, their eyes bigger with a small mouth and stubby arms that were wrapped around Danny's chest as they cooed.

"Um," Wade replied, astonished, "A deep love and appreciation for their company, and lots of heartfelt affection?" Danny laughed and Peter buried his head in his hands with a groan.

* * *

After their cheerful reunion, Danny begged Peter if he could go flying around the roof with Fido, his energy levels soaring with his mood. Peter couldn't say no after the rough couple of days Danny had, only agreeing after setting the conditions that Danny didn't attract too much attention and fly for only half an hour. Danny had nodded like a bobble head before he changed and phased through the ceiling with Fido, Peter sighing in mock aggravation as he went to the stove to boil water for some tea. Wade dragged his duffel to the couch after kicking his shoes off, shedding his jacket and hoodie while revealing his "A.S.S. Army" t-shirt and his Deadpool utility belt around his waist.

He opened the duffel and rummaged around before going to the laundry room, Peter shaking his head at Wade's antics as his water finished boiling. He dropped a tea bag in his cup and poured the water, taking his cup into the living room when he was done. Peter opened the balcony door, glad he had dressed in warm sweats, slippers, and a soft sweater as he peered up to the roof, trying to track Danny with his spider sense. He spotted a speck of green as Fido zigzagged in the air as he chased Danny in what appeared to be a game of ghostly tag. Peter smiled, slipping back inside and closing the window. He stopped short when he turned around and found Wade on a step ladder drilling another hook in the ceiling. He was hanging up what appeared to be a large, woven spider-plant basket with a tassel in the corner by the balcony with the rest of Peter's spider-plant hoard, his duffel nearly empty on the floor.

"Another spider-plant?" Peter asked as he walked towards Wade, bringing his mug to his lips. "I didn't know they got that big." Wade turned to look down at him from atop the ladder, and grinned as finished placing the basket on the hook and tested it with a little bit of his weight.

"Nope," Wade said, popping the 'p'. "Ghost hammock." Peter raised his eyebrow in judgement as he took a long sip of his tea to hide his amused grin.

"You know we can't actually adopt Danny, right?" Peter asked as Wade climbed down from the ladder, even though his heart warmed a little at the idea.

"Not with that attitude!" Wade said cheerfully, folding the ladder and tucking it under his arm while he rested the drill on his shoulder. Peter rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean," Peter replied, walking with Wade back to the laundry room. "We can't have guardianship over him if he's getting emancipated." Neither of them noticed Danny phasing through the ceiling with Fido and inspecting the hammock.

"It'll be a de facto adaption," Wade insisted as he started putting away the ladder and drill. Peter rolled his eyes.

"Do ghosts even like hammocks?" Peter asked as he took another sip of tea.

"No idea!" Wade answered as he closed the laundry door and they both walked back toward the living room. They stopped in surprise as they reached the threshold, more warmth curling around Peter's heart while Wade did a fist pump. Danny was sitting in the hammock, leaning against one of the straps like it was a back rest, his arms crossed behind his head. Where Danny's legs were supposed to be was a ghostly tail that curled and fluttered around the tassel of the hammock. Fido sat on Danny's stomach, their blobby body stretching in a melted puddle as they smiled and snuggled into Danny's abdomen, their little arms folded inward. Danny had his eyes closed and a content grin on his face. At that moment, Peter didn't care about the absolute ridiculousness of the hammock or the picture it created. He was just glad he and Wade could make Danny happy when four days ago he looked ready to fall apart. As Peter and Wade let Danny rest, rings of white light flickering across Danny's chest before sputtering out, leaving Danny in his ghost form as he slept.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I said I wouldn't write another long ep, but this one was just too much fun! I find it ironic that the first ep of Season 1 was only 3k, and this one is nearly 4.5 times that much. I have to admit, I had the stupidest fucking smile on my face while I was writing the last part. And now I can add Found Family in the tags! T^T
> 
> I would also like to give a shout out to [GwendolynStacy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GwendolynStacy) for their fic [Born of the Same Impulse](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15299694/chapters/35495001), for their encouraging words and as their style of writing really helped me understand how to build up tension without having fight scenes. If y'all have a moment, please go check them out!


End file.
